Be Hector…
Sometimes, it takes a lot of courage to lose.
Unbearable heat scorched the battlefield.
The Greeks watched, and so did the Trojans.
On the outskirts of the city of Troy, two great warriors of great civilizations clashed for honor.
The anticipation was unbearable. The clang of steel against steel was electrifying.
The best of the Trojans was Hector. A brave soldier, and the crown prince of the city.
His opponent was Achilles of the Greeks.
A demigod. The greatest warrior of Western civilization.
Their combat has gone down in history as one of the defining moments of the Iliad.
A Soldier against a Warrior. A Prince against a Champion. A Man against a God.
And the man…loses.
Achilles’s spear finally pierces Hector’s armor. With the strike of a sword, the crown prince lies dead.
Warriors throughout history have revered the contest between Hector and Achilles. The image of Achilles has inspired countless warriors and generals. From Alexander of Macedon to Hannibal Barca.
After all, he was the victor. He defeated Hector.
But today, I am going to take a different stance. Hector is a much better idol for the modern world.
Shocking, I know.
Why should we idealize someone who lost the fight?
Maybe because he lost the fight, but won his legacy.
But to understand that, we must understand his greatest Opponent, Achilles.
Achilles: The life of a Greek legend.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Imagine the strongest warrior that your mind can conceive. Now make him 10X better in every way. You now have an idea of who Achilles was.
Son of a mortal king Peleus and a Sea Nymph called Thetis, greatness was in Achilles’ DNA.
As a baby, his mother dipped him in the river Styx, making him impervious to any attack.
He was a legendary warrior, capable of amazing feats. He was strong enough to take on entire armies by himself. He was so good-looking that women fainted at his sight. He was strong and steadfast.
That’s not all.
The god Hephaestus created for him an indestructible armor. Now he was double invincible if such a concept even exists.
So, why am I talking about Achilles when the title of my article has “Hector”?
This is because Achilles personifies privilege.
You must have seen plenty of people in positions of immense power. They get whatever they want. And like Achilles, they were born into it. I am not saying that those people are evil.
They’re people, just like you and me.
They did the best they could with what their circumstances allowed. It’s that their circumstances allowed a lot.
When you have:
- The blessings of gods,
- An Indestructible Armor,
- Weapons made by celestials, and,
- A dash of heavenly DNA,
You’re set for greatness whether you like it or not.
And same goes for those who were born into wealth.
The problem comes when we start worshipping these people. Yes, we should improve our looks and our health. We should work harder to achieve our dreams. We all should be the best version of ourselves.
But by God, all this could have been easier if we had a lot of cash and good genes, eh?
What if I were to say, that instead of worshiping modern-day versions of Achilles, we change our values?
What if we change our definition of a hero?
For that to happen, we need to know the story of Hector, the crown prince of Troy.
Hector: What it means to be a “Mortal”.
Spoiler Alert: There will come a day when you will no longer be here. Call it ‘Death’, call it ‘Departure’, call it whatever you like.
The ultimate, proven truth is that your time here is finite. It will end one day. Your legacy will be all that remains.
Hector’s legacy precedes his life.
A warrior prince born to King Priam and Queen Hecuba; Hector shared no celestial blood like his opponent.
Wise, calm, collected, and brave, Hector earned the respect of his people.
Hector loved, and he wasn’t afraid to express his love for his people. He devoted himself as a husband to his wife Andromache and as a gentle father to his son Astyanax.
Even his enemies respected him.
But he wasn’t perfect. There were moments when Hector failed to live up to his virtues.
He ran away from facing Achilles before the fateful battle. For a few moments, Hector becomes terrified at the sight of Achilles. It was only when he realized that his legacy would outlive him, is when he gained the courage to face his mortal enemy.
He had no special qualities.
Hector wasn’t a god.
He wasn’t gifted.
Despite having the privilege of being a prince, he had to earn the respect of his comrades.
That is the truth about Hector. He KNEW that he will lose. He knew he faced death. He knew he’d never see his wife again.
But he fought to the last breath.
Conclusion:
Both these men are legendary. We still remember them. Writers still write about them. Professors still research them.
Their legacies will last as long as humanity lasts.
Yet they are different despite being so similar.
While we remember Achilles because he was a great warrior, we honor Hector’s legacy for his values.
This is where we come in.
We define ourselves and our legacy by our values. And we define our values by our actions.
In the end, that’s all that matters.
Achilles is the man we can never be. Hector is the man we should aim to be.